Shawn Mendes Launches A Charitable Foundation With Over $1M
As his ride to international pop stardom continues with nary a hitch, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes has announced the launch of The Shawn Mendes Foundation (SMF).
A press releases states that the Foundation "seeks to inspire and empower his fans and today’s youth to bring about positive change in the world and advocate for issues they care most about.
"Shawn and SMF will work to encourage young people around the world to learn alongside him, and support them in finding ways to act on topics they are passionate about. The Foundation will serve as a vehicle to support multiple youth related causes in the realms of children’s healthcare, sustainability, mental health and wellness, human rights, anti-bullying, education and more."
The Foundation’s first two campaigns will be with SickKids in Canada, a Toronto based organization close to Shawn’s heart, and REVERB, an environmental nonprofit that engages fans to take action for people and the planet at shows and beyond, while helping artists reduce their environmental footprint and increase their positive impact on tour.
The Shawn Mendes Foundation on launch has already raised over $1,000,000 USD, through partnerships and donations. Funds raised by SMF will go towards supporting its partner causes, including SickKids and REVERB, plus others identified by Shawn’s audience, including charities dedicated to the Foundation’s areas of focus and organizations that help enable the work of other young changemakers. In addition to providing direct support, SMF will work to provide tools to help Shawn’s audience learn, donate, volunteer, and amplify awareness around the issues important to them.
SickKids is recognized as one of the world’s foremost pediatric health-care institutions and Canada’s leading center dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. One dollar from each ticket sold for his hometown Rogers Center stadium show, as well as donations and a portion of the proceeds from upcoming Canadian brand campaigns with brand partners, Tim Hortons and Roots respectively, will go to the Shawn Mendes Foundation Canada at the SickKids Charitable Giving Fund, which will support the hospital and other charities close to his heart. REVERB is a nonprofit that works with music industry partners to green their concert events while engaging fans face-to-face at shows to take environmental and social action. Across Mendes' tour, he and REVERB have eliminated over 70k plastic bottles, and raised funds to offset the carbon footprint of the tour with brand partner Flow Water.
Mendes shared: “I’m so excited to launch The Shawn Mendes Foundation. For a long time, I’ve wanted to find a way to amplify the causes that my fans and I care deeply about, and to help make the voices of our generation heard. My goal in launching the Foundation is to work alongside my fans, and do everything I can to help provide them with a platform that inspires positive change, and empowers young change-makers.”
As part of the launch, the star will be giving a voice to his fans and anyone who donates to the Foundation to help him determine which issues to address with future campaigns. In addition to its launch campaigns with SickKids and REVERB, the Foundation will also continue to work with and highlight Mendes' previous charitable partners, Pencils of Promise, WE Day, March For Our Lives, DoSomething.org, the American Red Cross, and more (a full list of past and current charity partners can be found on the SMF website). The Foundation will also work with Mendes' brand partners to find unique ways to give back and create charitable and cause driven elements to his brand campaigns.
Tim Hortons, Roots, and Flow Alkaline Spring Water are among The Foundation’s initial brand partners. Mendes recently became an investor and partner in Flow, working with the brand to further the mission of inspiring positive change in the world by providing a more sustainable alternative to traditional bottled water. The Foundation will also be supported by corporate partners AG Artists, Universal Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, Island Records, Universal Music Canada, Bravado, Paradigm Agency and Messina Touring Group.
Mendes was inspired to start his own Foundation as a way to empower his audience’s interest in giving back, as well as create a platform to bring together the variety of causes that are important to him and his fans, after the success of past charity campaigns with his audience. These include multiple years of #NotesFromShawn, an initiative started with DoSomething.Org to support teen mental health, by encouraging fans to spread positive messages in person and online, in conjunction with Papermate; Mendes' music video for Youth, which highlighted dozens of incredible young talents and changemakers and was released in support of March For Our Lives; and starting the The Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund in conjunction with The Red Cross of America, donating $100k to the cause and generating over $180,000 to benefit relief efforts on the ground in Mexico City. He has also worked on multiple campaigns with Pencils of Promise, leading to the construction of two schools in Ghana.
For information about The Shawn Mendes Foundation, including how to donate, please visit ShawnMendesFoundation.org.
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